Personal viewing devices, such as mirrors, can be used for various purposes and have been used for some time. Some personal viewing devices can be stationary or can be otherwise affixed to other objects such as walls, furniture, or medicine cabinets. Other personal viewing devices can be held in a user's hand to allow personal viewing of various portions of the body. Still other personal viewing devices are not affixed to other objects and are not meant to be held in a user's hand, but instead include supports to allow the device to stand on its own.
The personal viewing devices described above may be difficult for persons with limited mobility or handicaps to use or to perform personal tasks. Such persons may need the assistance of others to personally view their bodies. The ability for personal viewing is particularly limited for persons who have an ostomy or other wound on a portion of their body that is difficult to see or reach. Persons with amputation wounds may also find it difficult to see or reach such wounds.
For ostomy or certain wound care patients specifically, they may have open wounds on their abdomen or on the lower part of their back or buttocks. These ostomy stomas are cleaned multiple times per week and sometimes daily. Personal cleaning of the stoma can be accomplished by emptying a pouch that is attached to the patient and removing it from the skin. Inspection of the skin and cleaning of the stoma allows for easier placement of the new pouch, which can require the use of both of the patient's hands, eliminating the possibility of using a handheld personal viewing device to aid in the viewing of the wound. Additionally, due to the presence of certain types of wounds that are difficult to reach or see, personal viewing of the wound, even with a stationary mirror, is difficult and often requires the assistance of a second person. Personal viewing of certain ostomy wounds can be accomplished using a personal viewing device large enough to view the top portion of the patient's body, but such personal viewing devices are often not portable, can be located in public places not conducive to performing personal cleaning tasks, or would otherwise require a patient to stand, which may be problematic or impossible for some patients. Also, cleaning of ostomy wounds in the standing position is not favorable in light of the possibility that human waste may be expelled from the patient in this position
For amputees, viewing of their wounds may require them to be in a seated position, and the nature of their wounds may require a mirror to view. Even when such wounds have healed, the use of a mirror during the placement of prosthetics may be necessary or helpful. A patient with an amputated leg may require the use of both hands, or a patient with an amputated arm may require the use of his or her remaining hand, when cleaning a wound or when applying a prosthetic. Handheld mirrors, therefore, may not be useable, and mirrors that are affixed to walls or other objects limit when and where an amputee may view his or her wound.